October 2022

Fall – The Season of Seasons


Without any specific reason, we usually vacation in the fall and early winter. As it works out, it also is the post-Labor Day crowds and expenses. Particularly as “empty nesters,” the late-season vacation is perfect. Besides the lower prices and crowds, most importantly, we enjoy the world’s beauty as the vibrant colors paint a swath around the world (at least in the northern hemisphere).

Our first expedition was an Alaskan cruise. It didn’t take long for us to realize that Alaska is Colorado on steroids—the mountains, lakes, fishing, and a back-country flight on a floatplane gave us a good taste of life outside our normal boundaries. The crisp fall air added vigor to our daily exploits. Nevertheless, it is always good to be home.

 


 

Next was a motor tour of Switzerland from Zurich to Zermatt, Lake Como to Interlaken, on to Lichtenstein, and finally to Geneva for a flight home. Again, breathtaking views, clean fresh mountain air, and food beyond description. Plus, we temporarily inherited a friendly four-footed mountaineer.


 

Not to be outdone by North America and Western Europe, we enjoyed two trips to Russia. It was here where we stayed overnight and ate the local cuisine with the elite and with those less fortunate. Nevertheless, every day and every minute was special. We traveled far and wide—the ballet, symphony, Volga River, Moscow, St. Petersburg, tiny rural villages, and a special day in a commune.

 





Travel has become an important break to us from the routines each of us experience in our daily lives. As much as we enjoy traveling, fall is the kick-off season for book sales. Fall 2022 started off with the Lubbock Book Festival which saw 50 authors in the Mahon Library for two days offering books of every genre. It was a rainy weekend, but book lovers found their way to us. Even R1 D2 came by.


 

For our daily lives at Ft. Nichols on the Llano Estacado, fall is the season of all seasons—football, raking leaves, dinner with friends, all part of an ordinary life, but a good one.

Stay tuned at www.thomasjnichols.com for updates on my newest book still in development. It is also here where you can find your copy of my two latest works, “We Were Young Once…” and, “The Russian.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Image
  Trust but Verify February 2024 Where Did I Find That Story? Among the many questions I receive as an author is: How do you arrive at what you are writing? My response is simple yet complex. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Every story has to have a start and an ending. Think of it as a sandwich—two slices of bread are the beginning and end; the “meat” is the story itself. It needs primary and supporting characters and a specific setting. But, most importantly, it must have a compelling storyline—the “who, where, what, and how” of the story. I found the foundation for my writing in my professional career—fifty years of policing.  Adding to that is my personal life of family, religion, and education. Pulling this together is my passion for research and writing. I combine that with my wife and enjoy traveling throughout North America, the U.K., Europe, Russia, and the Middle East. That covers millions of square miles, cultures, religions, and customs. Add that to my personal lif
Read more
Image
  Blog March 2024 West Texas As we travel and tell folks we live in Texas, especially West Texas, they curl their lips, squint, and spew, "Why would you want to live there?" At first, I was insulted that someone would say that, but eventually, I understood it precisely. Good people who have never lived here don't honestly know or understand Texas—especially West Texas. We live in the Llano Estacado of Texas, or to be precise, we are at 3,239 feet in altitude in the South Plains, just south of the Panhandle. But there is much more to why we live here. Take the next five minutes and enjoy this video. Then, you will want to pack up and get moving because life here is exceptional. Click on Wyman Meinzer's West Texas (youtube.com) and inhale the truth of West Texas . This is the Texas we live in and love. From here, there is no limit to the creative juices  that flow and the stories to tell. We keep roughly 4,500 acres under lease just off the  Caprock, which gives
Read more
Image
The Season is Upon Us N "The Third Dawn: Bethlehem to Golgotha" is perfectly timed for two reasons. With our world in a madhouse tumult, we need to take a break from it. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a wonderful book Why? Whether for yourself or for another, this is the season of religious and/or secular celebrations. Secondly, as the book's introduction cites, the era of Jesus of Nazareth was tumultuous under the iron fist of the Romans. Now, times are similarly challenging with the war that is being fought day and night, unending for men, women, and innocent children. Please take a moment to read a reviewer's comments: Compelling and often emotion-filled reading. The Third Dawn  by author Thomas J. Nichols is a new historical fiction account of the greatest story ever told. Written from multiple points of view of the participants, the author breathes life into the people, events, history, and place. One of the main characters, Nur, enters the story as a wise beyond
Read more